Merit, Demerit
by winteraction
Summary: After months of intense work Hinata, Sakura, Ino, and Tenten have a sleepover to relax with their best friends. When they play a little game called 'Merit, Demerit', however, things get interesting. It's teasing, blushing, laughing, and four best friends.
1. Chapter 1

19-year-old Tenten walked out of the Hokage Tower, the paycheck from the mission she'd just completed in her pocket. It was her fourth mission this month, a long escort to the Grass Country, and she was tired. She stretched and started walking home, wondering if she would run into anyone on the way. _Maybe I'll see one of those three…_she thought, thinking of her three best friends: Sakura, Hinata, and Ino. Konoha had had a hectic few months, and as the top four kunoichi in the village, Tenten, Ino, Hinata, and Sakura were generally the Lady Hokage's top choices for missions. As a result, the four of them had been on missions virtually nonstop for months, barely spending any time in Konoha and not seeing each other due to overlaps.

Tenten turned a corner onto a busy street, full of shops and people. It felt good to be home, and she took her time, looking into each shop window. She stopped in front of one boutique, as something caught her eye.

It was a beautiful fan, cream silk with a beautiful design embroidered on it. Tenten realized it would look perfect with a dress she'd just bought. She walked closer to the window and looked at the price tag. She hesitated. It was pretty expensive, but not out of her range…plus she _had_ just gotten paid…

"And it _is_ your birthday next week," a voice said.

"Yeah…" Tenten unconsciously agreed, slowly nodding her head. Realization hit her, and she whipped around to see an amused-looking Ino leaning against the wall a few feet away from her. "Ino!" Tenten exclaimed, quickly hugging her friend. "Am I that readable?"

Ino just laughed and said, "Man, Tenny, a little spacey?" Tenten grinned and raised one shoulder in a half-shrug. Ino returned her smile and said, "It's so good to see you. I just got back from my mission…I seriously haven't been home for more than a day at a time for months. I missed you! I'm guessing you just got back from one, too?"

Tenten sighed as the two of them walked into the store. "Yeah, I just got back from what was probably the longest escort of my life." She carefully picked up the beautiful fan and carried it to the cashier.

Ino raised her eyebrows. "Isn't that, like, your third escort this month?"

"Yeah! I had to walk this annoying punk all the way to Grass, and he kept offering to teach me techniques and talking to me like I was a little girl. I think he thought I was a real amateur or something." She took out her wallet.

Ino snorted. "You should have brought your ANBU mask with you, and taught _him_ a thing or two. I admire your patience."

Tenten laughed as she picked up the bag and walked out of the store. "Believe me, I almost ran out of it. I really wanted to kick his ass. But whatever, it's done. How'd your mission go? ...I mean the latest one. I know you've probably had about 30 lately."

Ino rolled her eyes and put her arms behind her head as they started down the street.

"Isn't that the truth. They were all pretty useless, too—escorts and stuff. The one I just got back from was pretty interesting, though—A-rank," she said.

"ANBU?" Tenten asked, as they stopped at a corner to wait for traffic.

"No, just normal."

"Was it an…" Tenten glanced at a little boy near them, and dragged her index finger across her throat to indicate execution.

"No, I just had to steal some information from some rich lord in the Tea Country," Ino replied.

Tenten let out a slow whistle. "You had to go all the way to the Tea Country on foot? That place is, like, on the other side of the world."

Ino smiled and shook her head as they crossed the street and started down the path that led out of downtown Konoha. "Yeah, but the journey was harder than the actual mission. The guy's security was a joke. I mean, it was just sad."

"How sad?"

"The lord had 11 armed guards, but I was in and out of there in under three minutes and I didn't even touch any of my weapons," Ino said.

"Yeah, that's pretty bad, I guess…" Tenten said.

"It was broad daylight."

"What?! Okay, I take it back. That's just pathetic."

Ino laughed, and the two of them continued on in a comfortable silence. They were almost at Tenten's house when Ino spoke again.

"Hey, Tenny, I almost forgot."

"Yeah?" said Tenten, turning toward her.

"Sakura and Hinata just got back, too," Ino said.

"What?!" Tenten exclaimed. "We're all actually in Konoha at the same time? I'm dreaming."

"I know, that's exactly how I felt," Ino replied. "But all four of us are here, and we're free from missions for the first time in a long time. Unless you have one soon?"

"No, I don't. I think I'm actually done with missions for a month, Tsunade-sama probably realized she's overloading us. I mean, it's not like we can't handle the pressure, but not talking to your best friends for months can get…you know," said Tenten.

"Exactly. So I was thinking we could…don't laugh," Ino said as they stopped in front of Tenten's porch.

"Um…I can't promise that, but I'll try," Tenten said.

"I was thinking the four of us could have a sleepover. Just like we used to when we were younger," Ino said. Tenten's face lit up.

"That's a great idea, Ino! We haven't had one since we were…what, 13? It'll be awesome!" she shouted.

"I know, it's been forever. I know they're childish, but I don't care. I was thinking we could do it tomorrow night, how's that sound?" Ino asked.

"Yeah, tomorrow's good. Actually, we could have it at my house." Tenten offered.

Ino grinned. "Great, thanks. I'll call Saku and Hina, and tell them to come at…6:30, alright?"

Tenten nodded as she unlocked her door. "That's fine. By the way, thanks for helping me decide on this." She held up the bag with her fan in it.

Ino smiled. "No problem, Tenny. You know I can read you like a book. I could practically hear what you were thinking!"

Tenten laughed. "Well, I guess that's what happens when you're a mind jutsu master like yourself, Yamanaka-sama," she said, with a mock bow.

Ino smiled again. "No, that's what happens when you're friends with someone long enough." She winked and started walking away, before half-turning and calling, "See you tomorrow!" over her shoulder.

Tenten smiled as she pushed open her front door. _Can't wait_, she thought.


	2. Chapter 2

Hinata smiled as she put the phone down. It had been really nice to talk to Ino again after so long, and she was really looking forward to the sleepover tomorrow. She shifted her weight on her bed and folded her legs elegantly beneath her, stifling a yawn. Man, was she ready for this break. And ready to see her best friends again. She grinned. A sleepover. _We are so immature_, Hinata thought to herself. _Pretty ironic, seeing as I just got back from an assassination._ She ran her fingers through her short hair thoughtfully. _But I guess that's what being a kunoichi is_.

She stretched out her tired shoulders before taking her mission paycheck out of her purse and setting it onto the bedside table. Then, an idea hit her, and she reached for the phone. It rang once…twice…

"Hello?"

"Hi, Tenny? This is Hinata!" Hinata said, unable to keep the happiness at hearing Tenten's voice out of her own.

"Hina!! How are you? I've missed you!" Tenten exclaimed on the other end.

Hinata smiled. "I'm doing okay, thanks. Kind of tired, but okay."

"Did you have a stressful mission or something?" Tenten asked sympathetically.

"Yeah…ANBU," Hinata said quietly, instinctively lowering her voice at the mention of the Black-Op organization. Her eyes flicked to the floorboard under which her porcelain mask was hidden.

"Oh, yeah?" Tenten replied just as quietly.

"It was this assassination in the Mist Country. Actually, it wasn't that bad. I think I was just tired because it was my fifth mission this month. The job itself wasn't that hard. I mean, I don't particularly enjoy assassinations, but it was a little easier after I saw the kind of man my target was," Hinata explained. Tenten didn't say anything, but Hinata could just picture her raising her eyebrows curiously. "I mean, let's just say that he thought more of his wealth than his family. And especially more than his wife."

"Ah. I see," Tenten said. "So he was an ass who deserved to die."

"Essentially," Hinata laughed. "At any rate, I'm glad to be done with missions for a while."

"Same! And I'm totally pumped for the sleepover tomorrow…did Ino tell you yet?" Tenten asked.

"Oh yes, I completely forgot. That's why I called in the first place. I wanted to know if you wanted me to bring anything," said Hinata.

Tenten laughed. "That's so like you, Hinata. Thanks, but I can't really think of anything…actually, wait. Do you have any nail polish? I figured if we're going to have a sleepover, we might as well do it right. We have to go all out, which includes the hair-nails-makeup routine, dumb games, and incredibly unhealthy dinner. Unfortunately, I'm totally out of nail polish."

"Actually, I don't have any, but I need some more anyway and I was just going to the store, so I'll pick some up," Hinata said, getting off her bed and looking for her sandals.

"Oh, would you? You're the best, Hina. I have to go clean up and stuff, but I'll see you tomorrow, okay?" Tenten said.

"Sounds good. See you!" Hinata said. She put the phone down and pulled her sandals on, before picking up her bag and walking into the hallway.

* * *

Hinata walked into the store and pulled out her list, deciding to get the food first and nail polish last. Eventually she reached 'noodles' on the list, and turning into the aisle, stopped dead. Who should be standing not three yards from her, but Uzumaki Naruto. She flushed as usual before putting her hands on her cheeks to cool down. _Breathe_, she told herself. She walked up carefully, noticing that Naruto had a frustrated expression on his face, and his hands were shoved deep in his pockets as he stared at the many flavors of ramen.

She steeled her nerves, took a deep breath, and spoke. "Can't decide?"

Naruto looked at her quickly, his face lighting up. "Hinata! How are you? No, I can't decide which damn flavor of ramen to buy. I like them all. But I can't stand here forever, I guess…I'll just get this one," Naruto said, selecting a packet. "I haven't seen you in a while, though, Hinata."

Hinata fought with herself to keep a blush from rising. "Y-yes, I've had a lot of missions lately. I haven't been home for a long time."

"Yeah, I noticed you weren't around," Naruto said. Hinata almost fainted upon hearing that, but shook her head quickly before looking back up at Naruto.

"Um- yes- well- it's…it's been really nice to see you but I have to do the rest of my shopping so I'll see you later okay? Bye, Naruto!" Hinata said in one breath before giving him a small smile and disappearing into another aisle. She stopped to catch her breath next to the soup, when she heard a voice right in her ear.

"I saw that…"

Hinata's head snapped up and she looked around to see Sakura standing next to her, smiling warmly. She grinned in reply and said, "I'm sorry, I can't seem to remember your name. I'm Hyuuga Hinata." She stuck out her hand.

Sakura kept a straight face, taking her hand and shaking it. "Haruno Sakura. Pleasure's all mine." The two stared at each other before breaking into laughter. "Seriously, Hina, we might as well be strangers, I haven't seen you in so long! I really missed you!" she said, reaching over to hug Hinata.

"Me too, Sakura. Have Ino or Tenten called you yet?" Hinata asked.

"About the sleepover? Yeah, my beloved Ino-pig just called me," Sakura replied, laughing and holding up her cell phone. "I'm really excited, I haven't been to Tenten's house- or seen Tenny herself, for that matter- in forever."

"Me, neither. Actually, I was just going to buy some nail polish for tomorrow. Do you want to help me choose?" Hinata asked. Sakura nodded as they started walking before grinning.

"Nail polish? This is really going to be just like old times," she said. Hinata nodded happily. "Oh, and Hinata? I totally did see you talking to Naruto a little while ago."

Hinata blushed automatically, putting her face in her hands. "Oh, God…"

Sakura laughed, "What do you mean, 'oh, God?' That was the least shy I've ever seen you around him! I was so proud!"

"Ugh, proud of what? Did you see how I just suddenly ran away? He probably thinks I'm a maniac!" Hinata exclaimed, putting her hands back in front of her face.

Sakura shook her head as she examined the selection of nail lacquer. Picking up a deep pink and shaking it experimentally, she said, "I don't think so. He looked really glad to see you…"

Hinata carefully opened a light purple polish and said, "Wishful thinking, Saku."

"Don't be too sure," her friend replied with a wink. Hinata shrugged in reply and added a sparkling silver bottle to their growing pile of nail polishes. Eventually, there were about 20 bottles on the counter, and Hinata said, "Well…I think that's enough for the party…"

Sakura eyed the heap of small bottles and said, "I agree…WAIT!" Grabbing a deep red from the back of the stand, she exclaimed, "Doesn't this color have 'Tenten' written all over it? We have to get it!!"

Hinata laughed, "Okay, but that's the _last_ one. Come on, I have to pay for all this." On their way to the cash register, Sakura stopped suddenly and smacked her forehead.

"Ugh, I completely forget. I have to stop at the hospital by 7:30 to pick up some medical records for some follow-up patients I have…what time is it?" she asked.

Hinata consulted her watch. "7:24."

Sakura's eyes widened. "Damn. I've gotta go- see you tomorrow, Hina! Can't wait!" Then, using speed she generally reserved for missions, Sakura raced out of the shop, dodging confused shoppers as she went.

Hinata chuckled. She checked her watch again- 7:25. Sakura had five minutes to get to the hospital, which was located on the other side of Konoha. Hinata shook her head as she paid for her shopping. She had no doubt that Sakura would be there with time to spare.

* * *

Later that night, as Hinata prepared for bed, she reflected on the day. She stretched out on her bed, feeling more relaxed than she had in ages. She smiled, wondering where Naruto was just then, before reaching over to turn out her light. She went to sleep wishing the sun would hurry up and bring the new day with it.

* * *

So...review, maybe?


	3. Chapter 3

At 5:30 the following day, Sakura was just finishing her rounds at the hospital. She was walking down the hallway, on her way to put her clipboard back in her office, when she noticed the Hokage walking towards her.

Tsunade waved away her respectful bow, and said, "Are you done with all your patients for the day?"

"Yes," Sakura replied, grinning. The sleepover was in less than an hour, and she'd been waiting all day.

"Well, I have one more to add to your list. Room 26. It's nothing major, but he's one of my best, so I want you to thoroughly make sure he's alright," Tsunade said.

"What? But I- I kind of need to be somewhere soon-" Sakura said, dismayed. She did _not_ want to miss even a second of this evening.

Tsunade simply shrugged and walked past her, saying, "I don't think you'll mind much when you see who it is…" Sakura raised her eyebrows curiously.

"Who?"

Already halfway down the hallway, the Lady Hokage called, "An ANBU captain."

"Thank you for being as specific as possible!" Sakura shouted after her. She was incredibly annoyed at this delay. Grumbling loudly, she made her way to the room, wanting to be in and out of there as quickly as possible. Still muttering to herself, she slapped the door open. "What kind of ANBU captain gets hurt anyway—sensei!" Her tone changed completely when she saw Hatake Kakashi sitting lazily on the hospital bed, reading his favorite book.

Kakashi simply held up one finger and continued reading until he finished the chapter. A full five minutes later, after carefully marking it, he set the latest Icha Icha Paradise down. "Hello, Sakura."

Her eye twitched. "I thought you weren't in ANBU anymore! I've never seen you there! And you don't look hurt at all!" Sakura shouted, exasperated.

"One, you thought wrong. Two, by coincidence you've never been assigned to one of my missions. And three- is that any way to greet your old sensei? You'd never greet your _dad_ that way…" Sakura breathed deeply and she fought with herself to keep from running out of the room. She loved Kakashi-sensei, but the mind games did get annoying at times…

"You're right," she said after a moment, walking up to him. "Hello, Kakashi-sensei, how are you today? I hope you've been enjoying the weather lately?" she said with exaggerated politeness.

He smiled good-naturedly. "No, actually, I was just in the Mist Country and the weather there was terrible." He noticed Sakura eyeing the clock on the wall. "Somewhere you need to be?"

She looked back at him, smiling apologetically. "Sort of."

"That's okay. I don't particularly enjoy being here, so if you would hurry up and heal me, that would be much appreciated," he replied.

Sakura nodded and proceeded to examine him carefully. She forced herself to keep from looking at the time, because work was work, she was a medic-nin, and she had to give healing all her attention regardless of what she wanted. _Besides, this is Kakashi-sensei we're talking about._ There was no blood or outward injury that she could see, so she proceeded to check for internal injuries. Carefully touching his torso, she checked the bones in his ribcage. Kakashi inhaled sharply as she touched one, and she looked up. "Broken rib. Do me a favor and breathe deeply, okay, sensei?" Kakashi did so normally. Relieved, she said, "Well, that means that your lung wasn't hurt in any way by the cracked rib, so fixing the bone shouldn't take too long." Pushing her chakra through his torso, she quickly knit the bone back together. "Alright, good as new."

She stepped back as he got up and stretched experimentally. "Perfect," he said. "The Lady Hokage's a good teacher. I'm better, though…goodbye, Sakura."

Kakashi ruffled her hair affectionately on his way out. She rolled her eyes with a smile- sometimes Sensei made her feel like a little kid. She checked the clock again. It was almost a quarter past six, and she still had to go home and pack before being at Tenten's at 6:30.

She rushed to her office, throwing her clipboard and lab coat on her desk and chair, respectively, before locking the door behind her. Signing out at the front desk, Sakura quickly dashed home to get ready.

* * *

Ino, Tenten, and Hinata lounged on various couches in Tenten's living room. Minutes went by in silence, until—

"WHERE THE HELL IS SHE??" Ino screamed. "This is the first time we're getting together in ages, and Sakura's disappeared! We can't catch up properly until we're all here!"

"Yes, it is unlike her to be late," Hinata added, checking the clock: 6:47.

"I wonder what's keeping her…probably can't decide on which pajamas to bring or something…" Tenten said, laughing with the other two. "Seriously, though, where is sh—"

Right on cue, Tenten's doorbell rang. All three girls squealed, ran to the door, and yanked it open, only to be knocked down by a flash of pink and red as Sakura flew through the door. The four of them ended up in a heap on the floor. The next few minutes were spent laughing (Sakura and Hinata), carefully trying to untangle limbs (Ino), and swearing (Tenten). Eventually they picked themselves off of the ground and walked into Tenten's bedroom, still laughing.

Each girl picked her favorite place to sit, and after they were all comfortable, they just sort of sat quietly, grinning at each other. Tenten finally got up and walked over to Hinata's bag. Pulling out an interesting shade of blue nail polish, she straightened up, turned to her friends and said, "Shall we begin?"

* * *

The next chapter will be more interesting, I swear! xD

vio


	4. Chapter 4

Half an hour later, the scene was this: Tenten and Ino were lying on their stomachs on the bedroom floor, and Tenten was carefully painting Ino's nails a metallic navy color. The two were immersed in exchanging tips on how to sew hiding places for senbon and shuriken into a new kimono. Their conversation- and concentration- was frequently halted, however, when one or both of them were hit with a piece of candy. This was because on the other side of the room, Sakura and Hinata were playing a game- or having a war, it seemed- which involved throwing candy into your opponent's mouth from multiple feet away. Neither of them was doing very well, but they continued amidst taunts and yells. The scene continued in this way:

Ino, blowing on her left hand while Tenten began on her right, said, "So, Tenny, sometimes I keep some poison-tipped senbon in the obi for easy access. You just have to remember to wrap them in something; otherwise the poison will disintegrate the silk, which is a total waste of a nice kimo—OW! Watch it!" Ino and Tenten's half-hearted glares melted into giggles as they turned their attention to Sakura and Hinata.

Hinata was standing on Tenten's bed, whipping small, colorful candies at Sakura, who ran around the room dodging them. "Hinata, you can hit a moving target with a kunai from 30 yards away, but you can't get a chocolate into my mouth from 10 feet?! Well, for the top ANBU tracker, I'd say that is pretty _SAD_!" Sakura taunted. "Maybe you should use the Byakugan to help you out!"

Hinata pouted. "Well, if Tenten was on my team, every candy in this room would be down your throat within 10 seconds even if you were moving at the speed of light! Actually, I think I will get her on my team!" She grinned and threw the bag of candy to Tenten, who caught it and weighed it in one hand, smirking.

"No fair, having Tenny and her 3,000 percent accuracy on your side is cheating! I thought you had morals, Hyuuga!" Sakura shouted. Tenten said nothing, but grinned evilly and threw a hard candy at her, hitting her in the forehead.

Ino laughed loudly. "Well, Saku's enormous forehead always was an easy target!"

Sakura spun around, a dangerous aura emanating around her. She held her hand out to Tenten, who handed the candy bag to her wordlessly. "Pig…say your prayers." Venom dripped from every word, but she couldn't hide the playfulness in her eyes.

Ino smirked, checked her nails to make sure they were dry, and got into a battle stance. "Bring it, Forehead."

Tenten turned to Hinata. "Hina, I've seen an entire squadron of shinobi get destroyed by that stance. We should probably get out of here until the winner is decided."

Hinata nodded and the two of them ran out of the room, Hinata giggling and Tenten calling, "Sakura, if your insane strength destroys anything in that room besides Ino, I will kill you!" Behind them, all they could hear were battle cries.

* * *

"Thank you, thank you...please hold your applause," Ino nodded to an imaginary crowd as Tenten giggled next to her.

"I'm just surprised your room is still standing, Tenten," Hinata said, looking around in wonderment. "They even got rid of all the candy somehow..."

Sakura lay on the floor next to her, grumbling. "It was totally unfair, I should've won."

Ino threw a pillow at her. "Whatever, Saku, you're just annoyed because I used my most elementary Mind Transfer to beat you. I haven't used that since the Chuunin exams..."

"She took over my body and made me eat like 20 chocolates...I didn't even get to taste them since she was controlling me..." Sakura said sadly. Hinata patted her shoulder, trying to look sympathetic and failing miserably, lapsing into giggles.

"Sorry, Forehead-chan," Ino said, smiling warmly.

Sakura returned her smile, "It's okay, Pig. I still love you." Tenten sniffled loudly at this, looking pointedly at Sakura. "Oh yeah, and I love Tenny too. And Hina, since I know you'll ask too, you can put those big white puppy dog eyes away. I love you all."

"Group hug!" shouted Ino, putting her arms around her friends.

"Okay, okay," Tenten said, pulling out of the hug. "It's still only 7: 30, so what do you guys want to do?"

"Well," Hinata said. "Ino's the only one who's gotten her nails done. Why don't I do Sakura's while Ino does Tenten's?" Her friends agreed and they settled down on the bedroom floor. Sakura selected a shiny rose color while Tenten chose the deep red that Sakura had picked up at the grocery store at the last minute.

"Hey, what did I tell you, Hinata? I told you it had 'Tenten' written all over it!" Sakura exclaimed proudly.

"Wow, Saku, you know me too well," Tenten said. "Congratulations." They were quiet for a few minutes, concentrating on the nail polish, before Tenten spoke again. "Hey, Sakura, I forgot to ask you: why were you so late getting here?"

"Yes, we were wondering about that, too," Hinata added. Ino nodded.

Sakura rolled her eyes. "I was done with all my patients around an hour before I was supposed to get here, but Tsunade-sama caught up with me while I was leaving and told me to check out one more person. So of course I was incredibly pissed because I wanted to get here as soon as possible."

"That's understandable," Ino said.

"Yeah. But I get into the room and see Kakashi-sensei sitting there in an ANBU captain's uniform," said Sakura. This statement was met with loud reactions by the other three.

"I love Kakashi-sensei! He's really nice...even if he is late for everything," Hinata said.

Ino and Tenten were arguing next to her. "Kakashi-sensei is still in ANBU?" Ino asked.

"Of course he's in ANBU!" Tenten snapped.

"You knew, Tenny?" Ino said.

"Well, no, but it makes complete sense. I mean, he's still really young and he's, like, one of the strongest ninjas in the world aside from Tsunade-sama and the other Kages-" Tenten reasoned.

"That's true, he was probably just taking a break-"

"You can't just take a _break_ from ANBU-"

"YOU GUYS! LET ME GET ON WITH MY STORY!" Sakura yelled. "So, anyway, Sensei's the reason I'm late. I walked into the room and he lay on the bed for five whole minutes reading his damn book before he even let me talk! And then he was all surprised when I freaked out at him! He loves messing with me...it was 6:15 by the time I fixed him and got out of there, and then I still had to lock up and go home and pack."

"Wow, Kakashi-sensei's lateness has now extended to the people who surround him. I mean, I love him and all, but that's the worst thing about him," Ino said.

"Yeah, he's awesome in most ways, but that's a serious fault," Sakura agreed. "Even though he wouldn't be the same without it."

All of a sudden, Tenten sat straight up and held one of her newly-crimson fingertips in the air. A slow grin spread over her face. "You guys...do you want to play Merit, Demerit?"

Sakura squealed and Ino said, "Oh my God, Tenny, I haven't even thought about that game since Academy days...we totally should!"

Only Hinata looked unsure. "What's Merit, Demerit?" She asked, confused. Sakura and Ino gaped at her.

"Only the most fun, useless, awesome little girls' game ever invented," Tenten answered. She looked over at Ino and Sakura, who grinned. "Allow us to explain."

* * *

Okay, I'm really sorry they don't actually start playing the game in this chapter. I know I promised some action. I had it in this chapter originally, but it ended up being about three million words long so I had to split it into two. THEREFORE: THE NEXT CHAPTER WILL BE GOOD! I PROMISE!

(Although I wouldn't mind some reviews so I can know if it's any good so far... xD)

Stay tuned,

_-vio_


	5. Chapter 5

* * *

Tenten began explaining the game to Hinata. "Here's how it works: we choose a guy, and then we basically discuss and dissect what he's all about. We used to do it all the time with the boys in our class. Everyone goes around in a circle and says good things about him-"

"-merits," Ino interjected.

"-and the bad things about him-"

"-demerits," Sakura supplied helpfully.

"Yeah, and then we just keep going until we get bored or run out of guys. Are you following this so far?" Tenten asked.

"I…think so," Hinata said contemplatively. "Is there a…a point to Merit, Demerit? I mean, does the guy with the most merits get a prize or something?"

"No, not really. It's just one of those stupid little girly games that are perfect for a sleepover, but it has unexpected results sometimes," Sakura said.

Ino grinned. "So, now that you know what it's all about, are you interested?"

"Yes, definitely," Hinata replied. The other girls cheered and Ino handed Hinata her bag so she could pick out a nail polish color.

"Well, we might as well start playing while I start painting your nails, since you're the only one who hasn't gotten hers done yet," Ino said. Hinata selected a pale lavender, and Ino carefully unscrewed the cap before asking, "So…who should we do?"

Tenten and Sakura grabbed some pillows from Tenten's bed and lay down on the ground next to them. "Well, I think we should cover all the guys in the Konoha 12. Oh, and if the guy we're discussing was on your genin team, you have to talk about his merits and demerits first. Like, if we're talking about Chouji, Ino has to be the first to go," Tenten said.

"Okay, that sounds fair," Sakura agreed. "It makes sense, since if they're on your team you probably know the most about them."

"Yes, it sounds really fun! Actually, I think I vaguely remember playing this before, when I was really, really young…or maybe I just heard some other girls playing it," Hinata said, placing her left hand onto Ino's knee so she could paint it. "Either way, I'm excited. Let's do it."

Sakura nodded. "But, Hina, this is important: you have to be totally honest. I mean, going back to Kakashi-sensei- since I'm assuming that discussion was what gave Tenny the idea for us to play- I love him as much as my own father, but if he was the Merit, Demerit subject, I would have to be completely honest and say that his lateness annoys the hell out of me. Or for a merit, I would have to say that…I don't know, that I think he's the hottest of the senseis, or something."

"Well, he is," Tenten said, laughing.

"Honesty is what keeps M-DM interesting. Hey, we should do all the senseis, too," Ino suggested, wiping some stray nail polish away from the cuticle on Hinata's thumb.

"Yeah, but we can't do Kurenai-sensei. That's not fair that Hina gets out of doing her own sensei," Sakura said, getting up and walking over to her bag.

Ino paused for a moment. "That's true…well, Hinata'll just have to do the first dare if we play Truth or Dare later."

"…which we will," Tenten muttered.

Sakura stood up with a bundle of pink and white cloth in her hand. "Okay, I'm going to go change into my PJs, and then when I get back we can start the game. It's only like 8:00 anyway, so we can do a lot of people before we eat dinner."

Tenten crawled over to her dresser and pulled out a black t-shirt and silky mint pajama pants. "I'm going to change, too, Saku. Ino, hurry up with Hina's nails so we can play as soon as we get back." With that, she and Sakura walked out of the room and in the direction of the bathroom.

Ino put the finishing touches on Hinata's nails and leaned back. "There you go, your manicure's done."

Hinata blew on her nails a few times. "Thanks, Ino. It looks great."

Ino smiled at her and got up. Walking over to her bag, she said, "Well, your nails are already really perfect. I don't know how you always keep them so nice- sometimes I chip mine on my shuriken." Straightening up with a set of deep violet PJs, Ino walked over to the window and drew the curtains, and said, "I'm just going to change in here. You should, too, so we can start M-DM when Saku and Tenny come back."

Hinata just nodded and fished her own midnight blue nightgown out of her bag.

* * *

"So…whose team should we start with?" The four friends sat in a circle on Tenten's bedroom floor. Nobody volunteered.

"Well…we'll just have to decide with the old spin-the-kunai routine," Ino said, casually pulling a kunai out of her pocket.

"You brought a kunai to a sleepover?" Sakura exclaimed.

"Shut up, Saku, it's not like you're not armed. Admit it! We all are!" Ino shot back.

"You're right," Sakura sighed, pulling her bag towards her. She unzipped a pocket to reveal a few stray shuriken.

Hinata nonchalantly reached up and pulled a senbon out of her hair, and Tenten just said, "This is my house, and I'm _Tenten_. Of course I'm armed."

"Old habits, I guess. Look, let's just put all of that aside for now and FOCUS ON THE GAME!" Ino said. She placed the kunai tip down in the middle of their circle. "Whoever the blade points to will go first, okay?" The other girls nodded, and Ino flicked her fingers. The kunai spun like a tornado, finally slowing down and going slower…slower…and falling with a dull thud, pointing to Sakura.

Tenten clapped her hands once. "Okay, so we'll start with Saku's team. Should we do Naruto first, or Sasuke?"

Sakura sat up straight and said, "Sasuke." Her friends all raised their eyebrows, something that didn't go unnoticed by Sakura. "Look, you guys, I don't really mind talking about him anymore. I mean, after he first left I couldn't talk about him because I just couldn't believe that he'd done what he did, and I was still in love with…with who I _thought_ he was." Her friends moved a little closer to her in unspoken support. "But he's been gone a long time, and I'm different now."

"How long have you been…over him?" Ino whispered.

Sakura leaned back, resting her weight on her elbows. "I don't know…a while. Maybe a couple of months. Normally I'd tell all of you immediately, but we were all gone on missions all the time…I don't know. I just decided one day that he wasn't the right person, he wasn't coming back, and I wasn't going to waste my life wishing he was."

"I always thought he was kind of an idiot when we were younger," Tenten said abruptly. "I mean, I didn't really know any of you guys when we were new genin, but thinking about it now, if Sasuke had two amazing girls like Sakura and Ino in front of him and didn't notice, he really didn't deserve anyone."

Ino stiffened and looked down. "I gave up on Sasuke a long time ago," she said quietly, looking up and lightly throwing her arm around Sakura. "I mean, I did like him, but after the Chuunin exams I realized that he was completely destroying my friendship with Saku. Nothing was worth that." Hinata smiled softly and put her hand on Ino's forearm.

"Yeah, I just feel sort of dumb that I didn't realize it sooner," Sakura said.

Tenten sat up quickly and grinned. "Okay, well, pity party's over. Now that we're all definitely over Uchiha Sasuke, it's M-DM time. Sakura, he was on your team, so you have to go first."

The others laughed at the way Tenten lightened the atmosphere. Sakura shrugged, and laughed, "Well, I think I've already pretty much done my part for Sasuke. I'll go first for Naruto."

"Fair enough," Tenten said. "Go, Hina. Merits?"

Hinata leaned back against the foot of Tenten's bed, thought for a moment, and said, "He's hot as hell." The other three stared at her openmouthed, and Ino fell over in a mock-faint. Hinata laughed at their reactions, blushing a little. "Look, I may be quiet, but I'm the opposite of blind," she said, pointing to her Byakugan. "I never had a crush on him or anything because he seemed really cold and he always brushed Naruto off, but you can't deny he was very good looking."

"That's true," the other three conceded.

"What else?" Tenten questioned.

"Strong," Ino said, looking bored and examining her manicure.

Sakura threw a pillow at her, and said, "This is boring. Can we just move onto demerits already?"

Tenten walked over to her dresser and picked up a hairbrush. Sitting back down and letting her hair down, she started to run the brush through it. "Well, there's obviously the whole betraying-Konoha-for-a-crazed-snake-murderer and almost costing half of us our lives thing," she said, bringing her hair in front of her shoulder and braiding it.

"Plus there was the whole 'human ice cube', hardass, cold jerk aspect of his personality," Ino added.

"I mean, I sort of got where he was coming from with his past, but he didn't have to act like he was better than everyone all the time," Tenten said. It was quiet after that as the other three thought.

"Alright, does anyone have anything else to say about Sasuke?" Sakura asked. The other three shook their heads.

"Then can we please move on already? That one sucked," Ino said. Then her eyes lit up. "Naruto's next," she said, flashing Hinata a sly grin.

Hinata blushed immediately and said, "Well, you start, Saku. Merits?"

* * *

Okay, sorry it took me so long to update. I think the next few chapters will be better because they'll consist solely of the girls playing Merit, Demerit (and their discussions will be way better than the one on Sasuke. But I had to put him in there...)

I'll try and write the next chapter quickly because I'm going out of town on Friday so I won't be updating for a while (probably until the beginning of August, ugh). But, yeah. Next chapter: Naruto, and probably Ino's team. Watch out.

-vio

P.S. I like reviews...


	6. Chapter 6

Sakura shifted, leaning against the foot of Tenten's bed. "Alright, Naruto. Where to begin…" she said, running a hand through her short hair. "Okay. Well, the first time I met Naruto, I thought he was an idiot."

"We all did, he was annoying as hell," Tenten interjected.

"Yeah, and that added to the fact that our parents were always telling us to stay away from him and not talk to him made for me…being a total bitch to him for the first few years I knew him. I mean, I didn't know. I didn't know he was the Kyuubi's container, I just knew that everyone hated him for some reason, so it seemed like the natural thing to do was ignore him." Sakura swallowed and ran her fingertips through her hair again. "Man, do I regret that. He was alone for so long, you guys…but I never made it any easier."

Suddenly, she straightened up and shook her head quickly, allowing a smile to come to her face. "Anyway, enough of that. I'm supposed to be talking merits here. The things I love about Naruto are: he's funny as hell, clever, he's saved my ass on numerous occasions, he can lighten up any situation, and he's incredibly useful on missions. He's surprisingly resourceful," Sakura listed, counting on her fingers. "Plus he's one of my oldest and best friends," she added as an afterthought.

The other three clapped, causing Sakura to roll her eyes.

"That was very nice, Saku. I'll go next," Tenten said. She paused for a second, collecting her thoughts. "Well, I guess the first time I _really_ noticed Naruto was in the finals of the Chuunin exams. You know, when he beat Neji." She stopped, placing a finger to her lips. "You know, I really owe him for that. Neji became way easier to talk to after Naruto defeated him. I mean, Neji's one of my best friends, but all the speeches about fate made me want to—"

"TENNY, STOP GOING OFF TOPIC!" Ino and Sakura shouted.

Tenten held up her hands. "Okay, okay, sorry. So, Naruto's merits? Well, I really admire his spirit. I like how he always says 'hi' to me when he sees me, and I like that he's not afraid to ask me for advice. I loved that time he spray-painted Gai-sensei's jumpsuit hot pink. And mostly I like how he never gives up," she rattled off. "Actually, Tsunade-sama told me at my training session with her last Friday that she thinks he really will be Hokage one day, because he'll fight for it."

"Actually, she said something after that, but I didn't hear what she said because I was dodging the 50 million _tantos_ that she was throwing at me," she added, frowning slightly.

"I know he'll be Hokage one day," Hinata piped up. Sakura nodded in agreement, smiling slightly.

"Believe it!" Ino said, imitating Naruto perfectly, before all four kunoichi burst into laughter.

"I guess I'll go next," Ino said. She blew her long bangs out of her eyes and leaned back onto her elbows. "Well…I was kind of the same when we were younger; I always ignored him and thought he was just this punkass prankster. But he's become way more than that. Merits? I totally respect his abilities, he's insanely strong. And not just because of the Kyuubi, either. What else…I like his attitude, I like how he always treats everyone, and I like that he's such a loyal friend. Oh, and I like how he always tells us we look nice, even when we don't."

"Example?" Sakura asked, curiously.

"Well…remember last month, when I had to lead that team of new chuunin out to Suna for reconnaissance, and we got attacked by those insane bandits?" Ino asked. The other three stared at her blankly. "Oh, yeah, you guys were all off on missions, so I didn't get a chance to tell you. Well, this renegade group ambushed us- I mean, they just leaped out of this sand dune and tried to kill all of us."

"…I can't believe I didn't know that. This sleepover was _so_ overdue," Tenten groaned.

"I agree. Anyway, the mission was given as a C, since my team had literally become chuunin three or four days before. And they reacted terribly; I don't even know how they became genin, much less chuunin. They all scattered and freaked out, so I was left to deal with this squadron of 25 or 30 shinobi," Ino said, rolling her eyes.

"Um, I don't mean to sound conceited or anything…but 30 bandits don't seem like much of a challenge. For us, I mean," Hinata said hesitantly.

Ino shook her head, grinning lopsidedly. "You're right, Hina, but the bandits weren't my problem. I dispatched them in…I don't know, a minute or two? And then I told the most levelheaded kid on my squad to gather up the rest of his teammates and go back the way we came, thinking I'd just finish up myself and follow."

"So…what happened that presumably messed you up?" Tenten asked. "Actually, can you wait a second? I'm going to go get us some snacks." She rose from the floor and ran out of the room. A few seconds later, she returned with a large bowl and a bag of pretzels. Throwing the bowl on the floor, she ripped the bag open and dumped its contents into the bowl.

"Nice," Sakura said, reaching in a grabbing a handful. Hinata reached over and grabbed a few out of Sakura's hand, giggling.

"Thanks, Tenny. Now where was I…right, so I just finished scouting the area and I was just running over the desert when I got this weird feeling. So I turn around, and guess what I see?"

"A stampede of camels?" Sakura guessed.

"A horde of Kankurou-san's puppet soldiers ?" Hinata guessed, laughing slightly.

"A kitty?" Tenten said sarcastically. Ino reached over and smacked her, laughing.

"Very funny. No, I turned around and saw this enormous sandstorm coming over the horizon," Ino said.

"Oh, sh-"

"Yeah. So I didn't find shelter because I thought I could outrun it, but I couldn't for some reason, so I found myself in the middle of this huge sandstorm, getting whipped and slashed by sand left and right. Hurt like hell, too, your clothes don't protect you in a sandstorm. Remember that," Ino said.

"Thanks, Professor Pig. So what does this have to do with Naruto's merit?" Sakura asked, popping a pretzel into her mouth.

"I'm getting there, Forehead. Eventually the storm ended and I reached home, and basically came through the front gates looking like I'd been beaten up by a street gang or something," Ino said. "As soon as I walked in, though, I ran into Naruto, and he said something like, 'You're back from your mission, Ino! Looking good!' even though we both knew I obviously looked like crap. I don't know, it was just a really nice thing to hear, and I really like Naruto for little things he does like that," Ino said. "Phew. I'm done."

Hinata, who had been moderately pink ever since they had started discussing Naruto, now turned considerably redder. Tenten grinned wickedly, and said, "Hey, it's your turn, Hina. Why don't you tell us the things you like about Naruto? Try to limit yourself to under 50, if possible."

Hinata glared halfheartedly at her, before straightening up and opening her mouth after a pause. "I—"

"WAIT I TOTALLY FORGOT, YOU GUYS!!" Sakura shouted suddenly, knocking Tenten over as she jumped to her feet. "I didn't tell you about Hinata's progress!!"

"What progress?" Ino asked, pulling Tenten up.

"Well, there was this episode at the grocery store yesterday…" Sakura said, grinning.

Hinata's face now easily burned the color of a fire engine. "_Saku, _no…" she groaned, covering her face with her hands. Tenten and Ino looked at Sakura, wordlessly telling her to go on.

"Come on, Hina, we have to tell them. They'll be so proud. Alright, guys, here's what happened…"

* * *

Okay, I FINALLY updated! Sorry, I've been out of town for almost a month. It won't be so long before I update again, I promise.

This story is actually probably going to end up being way longer that I thought. I thought that they'd discuss at least two characters per chapter, but that didn't happen. Maybe it will when they discuss more minor characters, I don't know. We'll just have to see, right?

Next time: the end of Naruto, and the beginning of Ino's team!

-_vio_

P.S. Review please?


	7. Chapter 7

"Yesterday, I was at the store picking up my groceries, and I saw Hinata out of the corner of my eye, so I walked over to her. BUT WHEN I CAUGHT UP WITH HER, I noticed that Naruto was in the aisle she just walked into!" Sakura began excitedly.

"Let me guess- the ramen aisle?" Ino drawled.

"Naturally. Anyway, so I just sort of hid to see what would happen and, you know, come to her rescue if she needed it, when I saw her just, like, take a deep breath and walk up to him!" Sakura continued.

Tenten gasped. "SHE walked up to HIM? No way!" she squealed. Hinata groaned and put her face to her bent knees.

"I know! But there's more! She _spoke_ to him!"

"You mean, before he spoke to her? As in she _initiated_ the conversation?" Ino said disbelievingly.

"Yes! She said something really cute, too, I can't remember what- and he said something back, and then he said he hadn't seen her in a while, and she blushed and said something back, and he grinned at her and said, like, 'I was wondering' or something--" Sakura was interrupted by Hinata mumbling something into her knees. "What was that, Hina?"

Hinata lifted her face so that her ivory eyes were visible above her knees. "I told Naruto I'd had a lot of missions lately, and that's why I haven't been home, and he said, 'Yeah, I noticed you weren't around'," she repeated, staring past her knees, into the memory. Her lips moved into a barely-visible half smile.

Tenten and Ino squealed.

"I thought she was going to faint when he said that, but she just sort of shook and said something really fast and, well, ran away," Sakura said, smiling at Hinata sheepishly. "But isn't that GREAT progress?" She turned to the heavily-blushing Hinata. "See, Hina, I told you they'd be proud!"

"Of course I'm proud! I wish I'd been there!" Ino sighed, wiping imaginary tears away from the corners of her eyes.

"There's no need to cry, Ino," Sakura smirked. "You don't have to be mournful just because Shikamaru doesn't notice you…"

"WHY WOULD I CARE IF THAT LAZYASS LIKES ME OR NOT? WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT, FOREHEAD??"

"WHY, YOU LITTLE PIG-"

"I can't believe he actually noticed me…" Hinata said quietly.

Tenten smiled softly at her. "Hinata, I really think he's starting to like you. No, I mean it," she said, because Hinata had looked up doubtfully.

"Just give it a little more time, Hina. He has always looked glad to see you lately-"

"He's always happy to see everyone," Hinata interrupted Ino.

"Not like that," Ino said, looking Hinata in the eyes. "Give yourself a little more credit. I think he's finally starting to think of you differently."

"I agree with all of this, Hina. But can you hurry up with his merits? We've got to keep going with M-DM, otherwise we'll be here all night," Sakura said, stretching out her shoulders.

"We're going to be here all night anyway…it's a sleepover…" Tenten deadpanned.

"Shut up, Tenny--"

Though she knew they were joking, Hinata spoke quickly to prevent an argument. "I've admired Naruto for basically my whole life. I guess at first it was because he was just…everything I'm not. Everyone was always so awful to him and no one believed in him, but he just got stronger and believed in himself. I wanted to be like that. No one in my family believed in me, but because of him, I learned to believe in myself a little bit. And then as we got older, that admiration became kind of a crush, and the crush…has become a love," she said quietly, looking to the side.

Looking at the other three, she continued. "I like how he tries to help everyone. I like how much he respects Kakashi-sensei and the other teachers…I don't know, I like pretty much everything about him…" she finished lamely.

There was silence for a while, and Sakura said, "Well…does anyone have anything else to say about Naruto?" More silence. Tenten fidgeted with her braid, Hinata, if possible, turned redder, and Ino lay down on Tenten's bed, staring resolutely at the ceiling. Sakura herself felt a light blush spread across her cheeks. Moments passed in silence.

"Will someone please just say it?" Ino said, failing to hide her own blush. Pause.

"Okay, fine. So he's gotten really hot over the years," Tenten said. She turned to Hinata. "But don't worry, Hina. He's all yours." Hinata grinned weakly, feeling faint.

"Alright, now that we've established Naruto's merits, it's demerit time," Ino said. "Let's just shout them out."

"He _needs_ to stop saying 'believe it'…"

"He picked up some mildly perverted tendencies from Jiraiya-sama."

"He's really overconfident sometimes."

"Sort of forgetful."

"I wouldn't mind if he wore something besides orange occasionally…"

Everyone laughed, and after they threw out a few more demerits, Ino took out her kunai. Getting off of Tenten's bed, she walked near Tenten and Hinata, placing the tip on the ground. "I think that's it for Saku's team. Ready?" The other two nodded, and Ino deftly spun the blade. Thud. It landed, pointing straight to Ino.

"Fantastic," she mumbled.

"All right, Ino. You have to start," Hinata said.

"That's good, actually. I think you should start with Chouji-san, because I don't really think any of us know too much about him," Tenten suggested. Sakura and Hinata nodded in assent.

"Okay. Chouji. The thing I like best about Chouji is that he is one of the best listeners I know. You know how sometimes- well, not with any of you guys- but with some people, you feel like you tell them your problems and they're _hearing_ you, but not _listening_ to you? When I talk with Chouji, I always know he's listening and understanding what I'm saying. Even if he doesn't always have an answer, he's always there for me. He's a great support, and he's really good at calming me down," Ino said.

The other three paused. Tenten spoke first. "Well…I really don't know much about him, but I went on a mission with him last year and he's really levelheaded. Plus he always carries around these really tasty chips…"

"He bought me lunch once," Sakura said, sounding unsure.

Hinata simply shook her head apologetically. "Chouji-san seems like a really, really nice person, but I really don't know much about him."

"We should all get to know him better. See? This is one of the things M-DM does, Hina, it sort of shows you whether or not you know people," Sakura said.

"Let's do demerits quickly," Tenten said. "I hate when you can't understand what he's saying because there's a bunch of food in his mouth."

"I hate going to restaurants with my team sometimes, because he eats so much, everyone stares at us. Once we got thrown out of a restaurant because the manager thought Chouji would eat him into bankruptcy!" Ino said, throwing her hands in the air.

They continued discussing Chouji's demerits until they couldn't think of any more. Sakura turned to Ino and said sweetly, "Hey, Pig, I think it's time to move on to the Nara genius you're always ranting about."

Tenten, who was now lying on her stomach, propped herself up with her elbows and grinned at Ino, raising her eyebrows. "Yes, Ino. Why don't you tell us all what you love about Shikamaru?" Hinata giggled quietly.

Ino just rolled her eyes in an attempt to hide her discomfort. It didn't work, unfortunately.

"Come on, Ino. We're waiting." Hinata laughed.

Ino sighed. "Fine…"

* * *

Man, this is going to be wayyy longer than I thought...sigh

Hopefully that'll be a good thing? Review if you feel so inclined.

_-vio_


	8. Chapter 8

Ino furrowed her eyebrows and stayed silent, trying to erase any thoughts of Nara Shikamaru from her mind. If she thought about what they were asking, she would blush, and if she blushed, the other three would be all over her before she could say 'save me'. _Maybe if I avoid it long enough, they'll just get tired of waiting and skip my turn…_

"Take your time, Pig. We've got all night," Sakura said, snickering.

_Damn it._

Ino whimpered internally. She _could _lie….but no. The rules of Merit, Demerit were absolute, and even aside from that, Ino didn't lie. Period. No matter who was hurt by it. No matter if she was the one who would be hurt the most.

No, she would just have to do it. She decided to get it over with quickly. She sat up straight, blew her bangs out of her eyes, and crossed her arms. _Just say it, Ino._

"Okay. You want to know what I like about Shikamaru? Fine. I like his attitude about life. I like that he doesn't let anything get to him. I like his hair. I like his eyes. I like that he's always one step ahead of everything. I like the way he treats his friends. I like that he's not afraid to give up. I like that I can trust him to stand still when everything else is shaking. I like how he knows how I'm feeling even when I don't know how to say it. I like that he never gets too angry when I yell at him or complain. I like…I like…" Ino paused, breathing slightly heavier and balling her fists.

"...yes?" Hinata pushed gently.

"I like _HIM!_" Ino burst out, before gasping and covering her mouth with her hand.

Tenten, Hinata, and Sakura gaped before slow grins spread across their faces. Tenten latched onto Ino's arm. "Oh, Ino, you mean you're in _looooove _with Nara-sama?"

"I can't believe you didn't tell us, Ino, I thought we were your best friends," Hinata said, pretending to cry.

Ino wanted to die. She could feel a hot blush creeping over her cheeks. "You _are_ my best—I didn't know—it's not like I—"

"I knew this would happen one day," Sakura said quietly, a genuine smile on her face. The other three quieted.

"What do you mean, you knew?" Ino asked.

"You guys just…fit."

Ino opened her mouth, but no sound came out. She had never planned to say she _loved_ Shikamaru; where had that come from? He was such a….._lazyass? Hottie? Hot lazyass?_

Letting out an exasperated sigh, Ino lay down on the ground with a 'thud'. She closed her eyes and tried to breathe evenly.

"What's wrong, Ino?" Tenten asked, moving to lie next to her. Sakura and Hinata moved closer also.

"I don't know," she replied quietly. "Just…me and Shikamaru? We're so…"

"Perfect?" Hinata finished. "You just said yourself that you're in love with him."

Ino opened her eyes. "Yeah, but I didn't..._know_ I was. I just realized now, for the first time."

"I mean, it was bound to happen sooner or later, Pig," Sakura said. "You guys have been together all your lives…you grew up together. You're almost as comfortable around him as you are around us. To be honest, I thought you'd have fallen for him a long time ago. Especially since he's gotten so hot lately." She grinned as Ino's blush returned full force.

"I agree, Ino. You were on the same squad and everything for so many years…you can't tell me you never even had a _little_ crush on him," Tenten said, pulling Ino into a sitting position.

Ino ran her fingers through her ponytail. "I don't know. Maybe I did. It's just…I don't know what love feels like. I mean, _now _I do. But after the whole—after the whole Sasuke thing, around the Chuunin exams, I just…didn't want to get hurt again. If I ever—_when _I ever—felt something for Shikamaru, I probably just convinced myself it was nothing."

Hinata placed her arm comfortingly across Ino's shoulders. "But I guess it was just…meant to be, at the risk of sounding really cliché. Maybe it's like you've been sort of in love with him your whole life, and all of a sudden you're realizing just how much he means to you."

"He's always meant a ton to me," Ino said, laying her head on Hinata's shoulder. "Just…Shikamaru." She shook her head slowly, looking awed and amused and scared all in one.

"I think there's a great chance he likes you too, Ino," Sakura said.

Ino suddenly felt a strange urge to cry. "Yeah, right. Why would he?" _He probably thinks I'm so annoying. Or 'troublesome', I guess he'd say…_

"Are you kidding me, Ino?" Tenten said incredulously. "Have you seen the way he looks at you?" Ino sat up, startled. "He looks…alive, when you're around. Happy. It's like you're the sun, or something."

Ino's eyes softened for a second, but she shook her head quickly. "You don't understand. I'm not the kind of girl Shikamaru wants. I'm not, and I know that. He wants someone quiet, and compromising, and soft, and pretty—"

"You're beautiful," Sakura interjected angrily.

Ino half-shook her head, "He wants someone reliable and _normal_. He wants someone normal, and I've lost count of how many people I've killed in front of him." She held back a dry sob.

"Forget normal. Ino, you're the kind of girl that Shikamaru _needs_. And we can all see what you mean to him," Tenten said.

"He tries for you, Pig. He worries about you, he tries to protect you, he feels you—you can get to him, and he loves you for it," Sakura said.

"I can't know that for sure," Ino replied.

"He would die for you," Hinata said quietly. "I don't need the Byakugan to see that."

Ino just smiled weakly in response. Sakura, Hinata, and Tenten engulfed her in a warm hug. A single tear spilled out of her eye, and wiping it away with a laugh, she said, "Thanks, you guys. I mean it. You guys really mean everything to me."

They smiled warmly, and Tenten said, "And on that note, it's _our_ turn for merits."

"I'll go first!" Sakura said. "I like that Shikamaru is quiet, because it makes me feel really relaxed. I think his shadow jutsus kick ass, and I have yet to fail a mission with him. I like how he comes off as pretty tough but is actually really nice. He's a good guy, and I'd say pretty worthy of my little Pig."

"I think Shikamaru is great because he never seems to get flustered. Also, have you guys ever sat next to him during meetings? He always makes these very funny and clever comments under his breath that you only hear if you're right next to him. I like that he doesn't try to be too flashy and that he wants people to take him as he is, or not at all. And now that I know Ino-chan likes him, I like him even more!" Hinata said, giggling.

"Well, you guys pretty much covered it, but I guess I can add that I like how honest he is. Oh, yeah, and I like that he's good with kids. Sometimes I see him talking to the Academy kids, and he's always really nice to them, like a cool older brother. I like that a lot. And, I have to say this, but that kid has gotten _seriously_ hot lately," Tenten said.

"Agree," Sakura and Hinata said, giggling.

"_Double_ agree," Ino said, her blush slightly flaring up. "Anyway, I guess it's time for his demerits…"

Everyone got up and stretched, sitting down in comfortable places.

When everyone was ready, Sakura said, "Okay. Demerits. Ten bucks to the first person who comes up with something besides, 'he's lazy'!"

* * *

I just messed with the end of this chapter a little bit, since I didn't like it before. The next one's coming. I've been busy, but I'm getting there~

-vio


End file.
